


Get Closer to Me

by SylvieW



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Beta Derek, Derek Comes Back, Domestic Fluff, Future Fic, Kid Fic, M/M, Single Parent Derek, bookstore owner Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-01-07
Packaged: 2018-09-15 13:40:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9237518
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SylvieW/pseuds/SylvieW
Summary: After traveling on his own, unable to find his place in life, Derek’s makes a discovery that changes his life.When Derek finally returns to Beacon Hills, Stiles finds himself making room for Derek and his new life.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the music video for Hozier’s [From Eden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cI0wUoCLnLk).
> 
> Tomorrow, January 8th, is my one year AO3 anniversary! A year ago over the Christmas break, I finally decided to put thoughts into words and share them with people. I love how supportive this website is, and all the amazing comments and kudos I’ve gotten since then. Thank you! 
> 
> I’m so eternally grateful to my beta [ChloeWeird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChloeWeird) for not just introducing me to fanfiction and the Teen Wolf fandom, but hand picking works for months while I learned to read tags, and then spending hours upon hours of her free time editing my work to help me improve, one misplaced comma at a time. Her encouragement means the world to me.

********

Derek tried to be a part of Cora’s pack. They were good people, hard workers, and they had welcomed him immediately. Most of the time, he could tell himself he fit in just fine. It wasn’t like he had anywhere else to be, so he was content to stay by his sister's side.

Then the full moon would come. While all the other werewolves grouped together, lead by the pull of the moon, Derek always felt drawn to something else. No matter how his sister howled, it was calling him louder. It got so bad that he shifted to his wolf form and started running, seeking _something_ just out of reach. When the sun rose, he was three towns over, completely naked, and no closer to where his wolf wanted to be.

When he’d returned, Cora didn’t say anything, but her sad expression was enough. He’d been there a year and he still couldn’t settle. It was time for him to go.

Derek packed his meager belongings, thanked Cora’s alpha, and said his goodbyes. Cora didn’t try to stop him, just gave him one last hug and watched silently as he climbed into Laura’s Camaro and drove away.

That was two months ago, and Derek was still driving. He traveled from town to town, following the pull of his wolf. He stopped when he needed food or sleep, picked up an odd job where he could and moved on. 

It was late and dark when he came across the house. Its windows were dark and the foreclosure notice was fluttering in the window. He knew he should probably find a hotel but he hadn’t worked in a while. He didn’t want to spend his insurance money on himself, couldn’t bear to think that his family's deaths were paying for him to roam the countryside, with no purpose. He considered sleeping in the car again, but even his quick healing couldn't keep his back from being sore after too many nights.

He could almost hear Stiles bitching at him to stop being a fucking hobo and find a decent place to live. But he’d tried that once. It didn’t work out.

Brushing off thoughts of Beacon Hills and all the misery there, he parked where the car couldn’t be seen from the road and circled the house twice on foot. There were no signs of activity, and one of the back windows had a broken screen. It didn’t take much to slice it open far enough to slide in. 

He let his eyes flare blue so he could see more clearly in the darkness. He knew better than to turn on the lights. The cupboards were empty, but he’d expected that. He didn't need food, just a place to sleep safely for the night.

He wasn’t sure why he didn’t hear it sooner. He should have been listening, should have known before he even entered the house. But he was exhausted from hours of driving and didn’t hear it until he went into the living room and saw the blankets on the floor. When he saw the teddy bear cast aside on the ground, it filled his senses: Anxiety so strong he sneezed, and the rapid flutter that only a heart pounding with fear could make. He followed the sound to the closet. The doors didn’t provide much of a barrier, since they were already broken, with chunks of the boards missing.

Derek didn’t realize his eyes were still glowing blue until two pairs of yellow flashed back.

***

Stiles pulled into the driveway, the jeep's headlights flashing over the figure on his front porch. His heart rate started rising until Scott stood up out of the shadows. and waved. Stiles jumped out of the jeep and sat down next to Scott on the front porch.

“How was your shift?” Scott asked.

“Good. Got in a new order today. That’s always fun.” 

Stiles had been working at the bookstore since he’d graduated high school. While everyone else had been anxiously preparing for college, he’d decided to go straight to the workforce. Since he’d been visiting the store since infancy, it was a logical choice for employment. He’d started out just stocking shelves and ringing up customers, but Mr. McCready, the owner, was getting older. He’d slowly started shifting more and more duties to Stiles. Now, less than a year later, Stiles was practically running the place single handedly, while McCready dabbled in retirement. “How was class?”

“Okay. My science classes are way better than they were with Harris, but it’s still not a walk in the park.” Scott said. Growing up, they never would have guessed that it would be Scott going to college, and Stiles staying behind, but Scott never made Stiles feel like he was wasting his potential. He showed honest interest in what Stiles did at work, and said the only reason he’d gone himself was because Deaton had encouraged him to. Scott would go straight to working with animals if Deaton didn’t insist on the basic level of Veterinary Technician training.

“Any luck with our furry relations?” Stiles asked. Scott had grown into the role of alpha, and his pack now followed him devotedly. But other packs were starting to circle, questioning their right to the territory, and Scott’s ability to keep them all in check. They were too small a pack to fight them all off, and they lacked some knowledge of werewolf social graces, which made diplomacy challenging. There was only so much Stiles could find out through research when werewolves were considered fictional.

“Sort of,” Scott said.

“How very descriptive,” Stiles bumped Scott’s shoulder with his own. Scott smiled tightly. “You’re nervous,” Stiles observed. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s not bad,” Scott assured him. “I finally reached Derek.”  
Stiles raised his eyebrows. They hadn’t heard much from Derek since he’d left town over two years ago. “Derek Hale?”

“Do we know any other Dereks?” Scott teased. “Cora finally agreed to tell him I was looking for help, and he called me today.”

“And? Any pearls of wisdom for us?” Stiles asked.

“Better. He’s coming back.”

“What?” Stiles gaped. He had fantasized hundreds of times about Derek returning, but he’d never thought it would actually happen. The thing about massive crushes on people who were way out of his league was that they were a lot easier to ignore when the person was hundreds of miles away at an unknown location. Far less possibility for embarrassment.

“Yeah, he said he’d be here in a few days,” Scott said. 

“How long is he staying?” Stiles focused on the details, and not his poor stupid heart.

“We’re not sure,” Scott said. “He offered to help us out negotiating with the other packs. We thought we’d see how things go, then decide if he should stay long term.” 

“That’s probably best.” The pack had changed a lot since Derek had been here. Scott had matured tremendously, as a leader and a person, and so had the rest of the betas. It wouldn’t be good for them if Derek disrupted things when they were finally working, and Derek probably wasn’t anxious to be tied down to a place that held so many bad memories. 

“Yeah. I don’t know if we’ll…” Scott trailed off.

“You’re different now,” Stiles assured him. “Derek probably is too.”

Scott nodded, shoulders relaxing a bit. “Thanks.”

“So, did you need me to do anything?” Stiles asked. He took his position as Scott’s second very seriously. So far, most werewolves they’d met didn’t think he should have the role because he was human, but no one knew Scott better than him. They were brothers.

“Actually, that’s why I came by,” Scott said. His eyes were already starting to take on a puppy dog plea.

Stiles’ own eyes narrowed. “Scott.”

Scott smiled brightly. "I was thinking maybe Derek could stay with you.”

“What? Why?” Stiles jumped to his feet to walk the short length of the porch.

“We’re trying to make him feel welcome,” Scott said, rising to his feet as well. “I don’t want to ask him to come all this way and then make him pay for a hotel. It’s not like he can go back to the loft. I don’t know if it’s vacant but that would be mean.”

“Why me, though?”

“You have a guest room. Ours is Isaac’s room now.”

“But he spends all his nights with you anyway!” Scott and Isaac had a _don’t ask, don’t tell_ vibe to their relationship, but in a pack of gossipy werewolves, it wasn’t exactly a secret.

“It’s still a room with someone else's stuff in it that smells like another werewolf,” Scott followed Stiles across the porch. “Please, Stiles? I don’t want him to find his own place. Maybe he’s gotten better, but do you remember where he stayed when he first got here? And that awful train depot?”

“Yes,” Stiles said petulantly. He’d been very vocal on the _Derek has bad taste in housing_ topic.

“It’s not like it’s forever. If he decides to stay, he’ll find his own place.” Scott squeezed Stiles’ shoulder. “And most of our meetings are held here anyway.”

Stiles sighed, knowing the battle was nearly lost. “I’ll have to ask my dad. I don’t know how he’ll feel about it.”

Scott grinned. “I already did. He said as long as it’s not his responsibility, the room is empty anyway,” 

Stiles huffed and punched Scott’s arm. “Geez, Scott, why’d you even bother asking me then?” 

Scott put a hand on his shoulder, his expression serious. “Because I wanted to make sure you were okay with this. Really, Stiles, I’ll figure something else out if it bothers you.”

“It’s fine,” Stiles said, relenting. “He’s not exactly talkative, right? He’ll probably spend most of the time in his room ignoring me. It will be so quiet, I’ll barely even know he’s there.”

“Maybe,” Scott said, hugging Stiles to his side. “Thanks, dude.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Stiles just hoped he could get through it without making a complete fool of himself.

***

“Scott, I’m pretty sure he knows where my house is, he's been here before.” 

Stiles wedged his phone between his ear and his shoulder as he spread peanut butter over bread. He’d just gotten home from work and showered, but he hadn’t had time to eat before Scott called to say Derek was in town. 

“I know that, I just want to make sure," Scott said. "The gas station is on the way, I’ll just pop over and see if he’s there, then we’ll meet you at your house.” 

Stiles sighed. “How will you even know which car is his?”

“It’s late, there won’t be that many people there,” The scuff of Scott’s feet on gravel came over the phone. “Hey! There’s the Camaro, that’s gotta be him.”

“What about that Toyota he got?” He’d greatly mourned the loss of Derek’s beautiful car.

“I guess he got rid of it. The Camaro is way cooler. I’ll just wait for him there.”

“Scott, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Stiles started having visions of Scott getting into the wrong person’s car, or startling Derek so much he lashed out. 

“It’s fine, the windows are open and everything, I’ll just--Oh shit,” Scott was interrupted by a high-pitched scream.

“Scott? Scott!” The line went dead. “Shit.” He ran upstairs to find his keys, fumbling with his phone to send out an SOS to the pack. Before he could get the message out, his phone beeped with a text.

_I’m fine. See you soon._

Stiles flopped down onto his bed, breathing hard. They were off to an auspicious start.

***

Derek stood in line at the gas station, trying not to be too impatient. It wasn’t the cashier’s fault that the old man ahead of Derek wanted her to check about a billion scratch cards at the pace of an arthritic snail. Derek would have just paid at the pump, but he promised the twins a treat. The old man finally finished and Derek paid quickly. The cashier was still fumbling a bit, clearly stressed out about the line forming, and she’d just handed him his receipt when he heard Jackie scream.

Derek grabbed his cupcakes and ran out to the car. He calmed slightly when he caught Scott’s scent, and he listened to him say, “It’s okay, I’m sorry, I won’t hurt you,” while Jackie continued to scream in short bursts.

“Jackie. Jacquelyn, stop. You’re okay.” Derek pulled open the door and slid the seat forward reaching out for her. He only put a hand on her shoulder, but it calmed her immediately. “This is Scott, he’s one of the friends we’re here to see.”

“Oh,” Jackie said. “He touched the door. It scared me.”

 

Will blinked at Derek sleepily. “Did you get us treats?”

“Here,” Derek said, handing them the two-pack of cupcakes. “Share, please.”

“Since I was traumatized, could I have my own pack?” Jackie asked hopefully.

“Will was in the car too, and he had to listen to your screaming,” Derek said. “I think you’re equally traumatized.”

“That wasn’t a no,” she pointed out.

“No,” Derek said. He gave her knee a last pat and ducked out of the car. “Hey Scott.”

“Hey, Hi,” Scott said with a frazzled expression. “I saw your car. I was just going to wait for you. I didn’t mean-- I didn’t realize--”

“Yeah, we generally consider unknown people approaching the car to be a bad thing,” Derek said. “You know, _Stranger Danger_ and all that.”

“Right,” Scott said, his eyes flicking back and forth between Derek and the car.

They stood awkwardly for a second. “So...Should we go?”

Scott nodded. “Oh, yeah, of course. You probably want to get settled.”

“It was a long day.” Derek pushed the driver's seat back into place. “I assume you want a ride over?”

“Is that okay? If she doesn’t want me in there, I can just run,” Scott offered.

Derek waved a hand dismissively. “It’s fine. She was just surprised.” Scott smiled, looking relieved and rounded the car to sit in the passenger seat while Derek dropped into the driver’s side. “Seatbelts?”

“Yep,” chorused two voices. 

Derek looked back to make sure they were settled in. The Camaro wasn’t exactly spacious, but they never complained. They had a blanket spread over them, but Derek was pretty sure that underneath it, their legs were twined together. While it seemed wildly uncomfortable to Derek, it was their go-to settling-in position. “Let’s go see Stiles, then.”

***

Stiles hauled himself out of bed and finished his sandwich while he anxiously awaited his guests. His dad got home before they arrived, and quickly went upstairs to change out of his uniform. No need to remind Derek right off the bat that he was staying with a man who’d arrested him. Twice.

The headlights of the Camaro flashed against the house. Stiles went out to wait on the porch. Scott jumped out of the car, but Derek stepped out more slowly, then ducked back in to slide the seat forward.

“What, no soccer mom Toyota?” Stiles called.

“Didn’t suit me as well as I hoped it would,” Derek said. He opened the trunk and started pulling out bags. He set a pair of little wheely suitcases on the ground while two children climbed out of the backseat. Stiles blinked at them as the kids each collected a suitcase and pulled it toward the house. Derek grabbed a duffle bag and followed after them.

“What--” Stiles started, then changed his mind. He didn’t need to start this whole thing by interrogating Derek. “Hey there, I’m Stiles.”

“Hi, Stiles,” the little girl said. “I’m Jackie, this is my brother Will.” 

Will waved at him shyly. 

“Great. Come on in.” Stiles held the door open for them and gestured for Derek to go through as well. Behind his back, Stiles shot Scott a _What the Hell?_ Look. Scott raised his hands and shook his head, looking as baffled as Stiles felt.

“This is nice,” Jackie said.

Stiles smiled at her. “Thanks. Make yourself at home.”

“It’s late,” Derek said. “Go up and get ready for bed, okay?”

“Sure.” Jackie slid down the handle of her suitcase and after Will followed suit they carried them up the stairs. 

“Do they need help?” Scott asked.

“We’re good,” Jackie called back.

“They’re werewolves,” Derek explained. “They can carry more than a human child could.”

“Oh, hello there,” The Sheriff said at the top of the stairs.

“Hi, do you have a bathroom?” Jackie asked.

The Sheriff pointed down the hall. “Just there.” 

“Thanks.” She set off again.

“Don’t forget your teeth,” Derek called up.

Jackie but her hands on her hips with a huff. “But Derek, we can’t get cavities!” 

“Don’t care, I can smell your breath from here,” Derek teased.

Jackie didn’t dignify that with a response.

“So,” The Sheriff said, coming down the stairs. “There are two mysterious children in my house.” Trust him to get right to the point, Stiles thought.

“Are they yours? Have you always had kids?" Scott asked, one question tumbling over the other. "Where were they when you were here last? Where’s their mom?” 

Derek blinked at him. “Oh. I thought Cora told you.”

“Not so much,” Stiles said.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to spring this on you, I just assumed…” Derek trailed off. “Doesn’t matter. I’m their guardian, not their father. I met them while I was away. Their mother isn’t around.”

“You’ve got their paperwork?” The Sheriff asked. Derek nodded, opening a pocket in his duffle bag. He handed the Sheriff a folder. “This gives you full custody permanently . Their mom isn’t looking to get them back?”

“No. She got tired of having two kids trail after her. Cramped her style or something, so she left them to fend for themselves. Tracking her down didn’t change her mind. They’re with me now.” Derek shrugged. “I didn’t realize you didn’t know about them when you offered to let me stay here. I can find somewhere else.”

The Sheriff handed the papers back. “Not on my account.”

“It’s fine with me, but we only have one guest room,” Stiles quickly added. “The couch is wide open though.”

Derek gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks.”

“It’s late, so I was thinking we’d talk about the situation with the other packs tomorrow--” Scott stuttered to a halt when Derek held up a finger for him to wait.

“Jackie, wash your hands!” Derek called upstairs. “Go ahead.”

“Right.” Scott tried to reclaim what he’d been saying. “Um, anyway, I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“Sure, see you then.” They shook hands, then Scott said goodbye and the three remaining waved him off, and stood awkwardly in the hallway.

“I should get them settled in.” Derek jerked his thumb toward the stairs.

Stiles sprang to action. “I’ll find you some blankets.” 

“I’m going to bed,” the Sheriff said. They all went upstairs, the Sheriff to his bedroom, Stiles to the linen closet, and Derek to the bathroom to knock on the door.

Stiles rifled through their extra blankets and picked a couple for the couch. He glanced into the bathroom on his way by. Derek was helping Will brush his fangs while Jackie talked a mile a minute with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

He smiled to himself as he went downstairs. After making up the couch, he started settling the house for the night, turning out lights, locking doors. When he got back upstairs, the bathroom was empty, so he ducked in to brush his own teeth.

The guest room door was open, so he popped his head in to say goodnight. The kids had each taken a side while Derek sat with his back against the headboard, a large book in his hands. It made a cozy picture that tugged at Stiles heart. “This porridge is too hot, said Goldilocks,” Derek read.

“Do you think porridge is gross?” Jackie asked. Stiles looked over and realized she was staring right at him. “I think it’s vile.”

Stiles shrugged. “It depends on what you put on it. I like it with milk and brown sugar, but just plain, it’s pretty gross.”

“Huh.’ Jackie turned back to the book.

Clearly dismissed by the small girl, Stiles said, “Derek, the couch is all set up. Did you guys need anything else?” 

“We’re good,” Derek said. “Thanks, Stiles.”

“Anytime.” Stiles waved. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” the kids echoed. 

“Goodnight, Stiles,” Derek said, then he went back to the story.

Stiles went down to his own room, changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed. It had been a long day, and he was tried, but his mind was whirling. He stared up at his ceiling, trying to absorb the events of the day so he could go to sleep.

He had envisioned Derek’s return a hundred different times, a dozen different ways. The Derek that had walked through his door was achingly familiar, yet completely changed. His usually quiet nature seemed steady and dependable, instead of tensed and ready to lash out. He spoke to the kids with an easy, quiet certainty that was nothing like the harsh tone he’d used with his pack.

It had been hard enough for Stiles to keep his emotions in check when Derek was being a giant asshole to him every other minute. He wasn’t sure he could protect his heart if Derek continued like this. He wanted his life to be settled and safe, and he’d told himself that Derek didn’t fit with that. But as the twins’ guardian, maybe he did.

Stiles fell asleep eventually, replaying the image of Derek with the twins curled up beside him, over and over again.

***

Stiles snuffled into his pillow as someone poked his shoulder.

“Hey. Hey, Stiles, are you awake?” came a very loud whisper.

“Was’it?” Stiles turned away from his pillow and jolted in surprise when he found Jackie’s face right next to his.

“Can we have some of your cereal?” Jackie asked.

Stiles blinked at her. “Sure.”

“Cool.” She patted his cheek and walked away.

Stiles glanced at his clock and tried to settle back into bed. He had the morning off and really didn’t have to be up for another couple of hours, but his brain was already coming online, and he was concerned about what the twins might be getting up to. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and levered himself out of bed. After a quick stop at the bathroom, he went down to the kitchen.

Both twins were up on the counter, Will sitting next to the coffee maker, carefully measuring out Folgers. Jackie was taking bowls out and putting them next to the Lucky Charms she had already gotten from the shelf. After setting them down, she started knee walking across the counter to the fridge. Stiles thought Jackie’s yellow flowered nightgown and the classic green shirt and pants Will wore were adorable. 

“Here, let me help you with that.” Stiles moved across the room quickly and grabbed the milk.

“Do you have orange juice?” Jackie asked.

“Yeah, do you want some of that too?” Stiles tucked the milk carton under his arm and grabbed the juice.

Jackie jumped down from the counter.“Yeah, Will likes it on his cereal.” 

“Ew,” Stiles said. She just shrugged and grabbed the cereal to carry over to the table. Stiles shoved the juice over with the milk and set it on the table along with the bowls. 

Will finished with the coffee and started rifling through the drawers.

“What are you looking for, dude?” Stiles asked.

Will frowned at him and Jackie answered, “Spoons.”

“Oh, over here.” Stiles handed Will two spoons, when took one for himself, as well as a third bowl.

As the twins poured out their cereal, Stiles leaned over to check the livingroom. Derek was curled up face down on the couch, completely still. “Is Derek awake?” Considering how good Derek’s hearing was, Stiles was surprised that the twins hadn’t woken him yet.

“He’s not exactly sleeping, but he’s not really awake yet either.” Jackie shrugged. “The luxury of waking up slowly should be savoured,” she said like it was a quote she’d heard many times. 

“Of course.” Stiles was at once sad, thinking of how often Derek probably hadn’t had that luxury, and happy that he could provide a safe place where Derek felt like he could take his time.

The twins were finishing their first bowls and moving on to their seconds when the coffee was done. Will got up and climbed onto the counter again, grabbing the mug he’d left there earlier.

“Whoa, dude, that’s probably hot, let me give you a hand.” Stiles popped up and took the mug. “Do you need some cream?” He asked as he poured.

Will shook his head, and Jackie said, “Just sugar is good. He made extra so you can have some too if you want.”

“Awesome.” Stiles passed the sugar dispenser he’d pilfered from a diner a decade ago to Will, and grabbed a mug of his own. Will dumped an absurd amount of sugar into the coffee, and hopped down. Stiles passed him the mug, and he walked carefully toward the living room.

As Stiles doctored his own beverage, he watched Will’s slow progression. It took some time, but he reached the couch without spilling a drop. Instead of getting up, Derek reached over his shoulder and wiggled his fingers. Will passed over the cup, and it disappeared between Derek and the back of the couch.

Will came back to the kitchen table with a grin on his face. It disappeared when the Sheriff came down in uniform.

“This coffee up for grabs?” he asked.

“Yeah, Will made it.” Stiles watched the children as they eyed the Sheriff critically. “It’s really good.”

The Sheriff got himself a cup and sighed in appreciation after his first sip. “Now that’s the way to start a day off right,” he said, smiling at Will. He ducked his head and shifted closer to his sister.

Derek stumbled into the kitchen clutching his cup, his eyes still half closed. He swiped the sugar off the counter and added more.

“Morning, Derek.” The Sheriff smiled in amusement when Derek grunted in response, then turned to Stiles. “So, what are your plans for today?”

“I’m heading into work this afternoon, but I think Scott’s going to come over this morning,” Stiles said.

“Great. How about you two?” The Sheriff asked the kids.

“Baths.” Derek’s voice still had the gravel of sleep in it.

Jackie flopped back on her chair dramatically. “No, Derek, we don’t need them, we’re fine!”

“I can smell you from here, you little urchin.” Derek winked at Will. “We can go straight up to the bathroom or, if you quit moaning about it, we can go outside and get filthy first.”

“Sandbox?” Will asked hopefully.

“I don’t think there’s a sandbox here, but we’ll find something.” The Stilinski’s backyard butted up against the preserve. It wouldn’t take much to find some decent dirt in the forest.

Jackie sighed, and her put upon posture and dramatic flare made Stiles think of Lydia. “Fine, but no hairbrush.”

“Oh yeah, hairbrush.” Derek reached out to ruffle the chaos of tangles on her head. “Unless you want it short like Will’s…”

Jackie looked at her brother with wide eyes and meeped before diving under the table. Derek smirked while Will giggled.

Grinning Stiles told them, “You could borrow my electric razor if you wanted. I’d even help. I’m pretty good at doing a buzz cut by now.” He still shaved his hair every few months when it got long enough to distract him or hot enough outside to make it unbearable.

“No, thank you,” Jackie called from under the table.

Derek smiled at Stiles. “Thanks for the offer, I’ll keep it in mind. Jackie, are you going to finish your cereal?”

“Yes, you can’t have it.” She popped back into her seat and hunched over her bowl protectively.

“Oh, I see how it is.” Derek crossed his arms and pouted. “One mention of a bath and I’ve been cast aside.”

“You can have some of mine.” Will held his spoon out for Derek to take. Derek scooped him up around the waist and sat down in Will’s chair before setting him on his lap. Apparently he didn’t look at Will’s bowl before taking a bite, and his nose was still half asleep. The scrunched up face he made when the combination of orange juice and dried marshmallows hit his tongue was priceless, and Stiles snorted before hiding his face behind his coffee mug.

“Thanks, Will. At least someone still cares about me,” Derek said with a disdainful sniff. Despite his initial reaction, he and Will traded the spoon back and forth until the bowl was empty and everyone had finished their breakfast.

Derek took the kids upstairs to change into play clothes. Scott arrived shortly after and he, Derek, and Stiles gathered in the living room. 

Scott was explaining the trouble they’d recently had with the Kirkman pack. Derek kept wincing, and saying things like, “Oh no,” and “Yeah, that was probably interpreted as an insult.”

There was a very loud thump from above them. Derek’s eyes widened and he turned to Stiles. “I can pay for that.”

Scott laughed, while Stiles asked, “Pay for what?”

Jackie came running down the stairs and thumped into the side of the armchair Stiles was inhabiting. “Before you get mad, it was a pretty ugly lamp.” 

“Jackie, seriously?” Derek slapped a hand to his face and looked at her from between his fingers.

Jackie shrugged. “Just sayin’.” 

“What lamp?” Stiles asked looking between the mortified Derek, unrepentant Jackie, and snickering Scott.

“The one in your guest room that I just broke.” Jackie winced as Derek sighed. “It was an accident, but I don’t think it was that bad because it was really hideous.”

“Jackie! Don’t call people’s furniture hideous,” Derek chided. “Especially people who are graciously allowing you to stay in their house.”

“That lamp was a family heirloom. It held great sentimental value,” Stiles said with a straight face.

“Shit,” Derek said.

“College fund.” Jackie said, pointing at Derek triumphantly. “You owe me a quarter.”

“Yeah, you can use it to pay for the lamp you just broke. Go sniff out a broom.” Derek shooed her in the direction of the kitchen. “I am so, so sorry.”

“Hey, Dad,” Stiles called, and the Sheriff poked his head into the room. “Jackie broke Aunt Margita’s lamp.”

“Thank god.” The Sheriff threw up his hands in thanks. “It’s about time. I was beginning to think it was indestructible.”

“Seriously, Stiles?” Derek flopped back onto the couch. “How did you even lie about that?”

“It wasn’t a lie,” Stiles said smugly. “It _is_ a family heirloom, and it _does_ hold sentimental value. Just not for us. Aunt Margita insisted we take it years ago. We couldn’t get rid of it because she always checks on it when she visits, but now we can say it met an unfortunate end, and it totally wasn’t our fault.”

Derek snorted. “Great. She’ll probably hate Jackie and me on principle now.”

Stiles flushed a bit as he imagined Derek and the twins meeting his extended family. He wasn’t very close with his dad’s cousins, but the idea appealed because the only time someone was really introduced to the family was when they planned on joining it.

Scott clapped Derek on the back. “That might be for the best. Stiles’ aunt is pretty intense. Hopefully, she’ll ignore your existence.” And Scott. Scott had met Stiles’ extended family, because Scott _was_ family.

***

Derek chased the twins back to the house, feeling more at ease than he had in...probably years. He knew these woods, knew they were most likely safe, and even if he lost sight of the kids, he could track them by their giggling long before he’d need a scent.

They’d found a decently muddy spot and whiled away a few hours there. Will made mud cakes in all sizes and decorated them with wildflowers while Jackie built them a “fortress” and threw mud at Derek when he wasn’t looking. Now that they were completely filthy, he was going to make good on his promise of sticking them in the tub.

When they reached the house, Derek did a quick sweep with his senses. Scott had left shortly before Derek to go to class, and it looked like the Sheriff had left for work in their absence. He could hear Stiles’ uniquely patterned heartbeat in the kitchen, interspersed with flurries of keystrokes.

“Hold up,” Derek called to the twins. “Don’t track dirt on Stiles’ floor.”

“It’s dirt,” Jackie drawled. “We can’t exactly tell it what to do.”

“Just sit tight a second.” He stripped off his shirt and jeans and grabbed the hose attached to the back wall, focusing the spray on his muddy feet.

Jackie ran backwards. “I’m not getting sprayed with a cold hose.”

Derek rolled his eyes. “It’s nothing we haven’t done before, but I wasn’t intending to spray you. I may change my mind now…” Derek sent a shot of water at the ground just in front of their feet, and chuckled at they squealed and started running around the backyard.

The commotion must have caught Stiles’ attention because he slid open the patio door with a smile on his face. When he caught sight of Derek standing in the middle of the yard in nothing but his black boxer briefs, his eyes widened. 

“Stiles, save us from the hose!” Jackie ran toward the door. Derek dropped the hose and grabbed her around the waist.

“I don’t think so,” Stiles said. “Looks like you could use it.”

“I made mudcakes.” Will wiggled his smeared fingers in Stiles’ direction.

“I was going to clean off and then carry them up to the bath,” Derek explained.

“Sure, let me get you a towel.” Stiles shot one more look over his shoulder that raked across Derek’s skin, before disappearing into his house.

Jackie started eyeing Derek slyly. “You like him.”

“Don’t be nosy,” Derek said.

Will giggled, because he liked puns. When Derek had explained to them that it was impolite to comment on other people's scents, they hadn’t really understood. Will got the message when Derek said they were being nosy with their noses. Jackie grasped the concept, she just didn’t care.

Derek set Jackie down when Stiles returned with the towel. After a quick wipe of his feet, Derek put a twin on each hip and carried them upstairs.

Stiles trailed after them up to the bathroom.“Another occasion that werewolf strength comes in handy, huh?” 

Derek shot him a smirk with slightly pointed teeth and was rewarded with a laugh.

“You need anything?” Stiles asked.

“Would you mind grabbing the green bag out of Will’s suitcase? I forgot to bring it in earlier.” Derek plopped the kids into the bath and stepped in after them.

When Stiles came back, most of their clothes were at the bottom of the tub and Derek was adjusting the detachable showerhead to wash the dirt off the kids. Stiles took the clothes and put them in the sink.

Stiles zipped open the bag. “What do you need from here first?” 

“The shampoo please.” Derek accepted the bottle and slid the shower curtain closed. He washed his hair quickly while the kids played “rainforest” at his feet. When he was finished, he slid the plug in place and switched the shower to bath mode.

When he pulled the curtain back and stepped out, Stiles handed him a fresh towel. 

“I feel like I should make an arrested development reference.” Stiles gestured vaguely to Derek’s underwear that was now completely plastered to his skin. Derek raised an eyebrow at him and Stiles went beet-red. “I’ll just leave you to it or whatever.”

Derek watched him flee the bathroom then shrugged and ruffled his hair with his towel. After helping the twins wash their own hair--Will really wanted a perfect shampoo mohawk and Jackie's hair was so thick it was hard to get all the soap out--he tossed their bath toys in with them and left them to play.

Once he was dressed, he wandered downstairs to find Stiles.

“Hey, all done?” Stiles asked looking up from his laptop at the kitchen table.

“I am.” Derek sat down in the seat across from him. “They’ll be a while yet.”

“I would've thought they’d be out of there as soon as possible.” 

“You’d think so with all the complaining, but once they're in there, they never want to leave.” Derek leaned back in his chair. “As long as they’re clean. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”

Stiles tensed slightly and turned back to his computer. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve been gone nearly two years, Stiles,” Derek reminded him. “I want to catch up.”

“Not much to catch up on really,” Stiles said with cheer that seemed forced. “High school still sucked, creatures we didn’t know existed tried to kill us, werewolves complicated things.” He trailed off and Derek thought that was all he’d say, then he tacked on, “We graduated high school.”

“Congratulations,” Derek said. Stiles only shrugged, remaining silent. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Stiles focused completely on his laptop, and Derek didn’t understand why he sounded so defensive.

“Those were all general things, about the whole pack. I want to know about you.” Stiles shrugged awkwardly again, so Derek pressed. “What have you been doing? Were you happy to graduate? Did you ever get a chem teacher that didn’t suck? Any more murderous english teachers? What are you doing now?”

A smile teased at the corner of Stiles’ mouth. “We found out our home economics teacher was part brownie, but he wasn’t getting into any trouble so we let him be. He taught me how to crochet.” Derek snorted and leaned forward, waiting for more. Stiles’ grin faded again. “I’m working at the bookstore. You know the one Mr. McCready owns?”

Derek nodded. “Do you like it?”

“Yeah I do,” Stiles said honestly. “I pretty much have the run of the place now. It’s nice.”

Derek smiled picturing Stiles surrounded by books, reorganizing in a way that made sense only to him.“That’s good.”

“Yeah, it is.” Stiles stared at him for a second like he expected Derek to disagree. When he didn’t, Stiles seemed to relax and from there, he opened up about everything that had happened in Derek’s absence, everything the pack was doing now. And it felt good to talk to Stiles again. Easy. 

***

That day Stiles arrived home from work the same time as the night before, but instead of an empty house and a quick PB and J, he was greeted by a cacophony of noise, and a plate of salmon and rice.

“This is great,” Stiles told Derek, as he shoveled the zesty fish onto his fork. Derek was loading the dishwasher while the twins watched the game with the Sheriff in the living room.

“Thanks.” Derek rinsed out a frying pan before fitting it in around some dinner plates. “How was work?”

“Good.” Stiles beat down the wave of defensiveness. He’d already told Derek what he was doing and Derek hadn’t judged him at all. Stiles was so sick of people asking him _What are you up to?_ and _When are you going to school?_ and _How long will you work there?_ and also making a judgement about that. He'd been surprised when Derek hadn’t questioned his decision at all. There’d been no lectures on his potential, just quiet acceptance and friendly curiosity. Stiles tentatively told him, “We got a shipment in that I was worried about.”

“Worried?” Derek echoed.

“Yeah, it had a bunch of orders for people,” Stiles explained. “We need to get special orders in quickly, or next time the customer might just go on Amazon and be done with it. Bookstores can’t just be about books anymore. We’re doing the whole service. ”

“Like what?” Derek asked. 

“If someone comes and orders a book, I don’t just fill out the form.” Stiles started gesturing with his fork. “They come in and browse, and instead of just walking out when they can’t find what they want, we have a conversation. Why do they want the book? Who’s it for? Have they read it already? Is it part of a series? Oh, and if they have the rest of the series, which publication do they want, because they each have different cover designs. I’ll find the right one, even if it’s out of print.”

Derek finished with the dishwasher and sat down across from Stiles. “And that’s better to them than ordering online?”

Stiles nodded. “Most of them. I called about 6 people to come pick up their orders today. 3 came in, and 2 of them bought another book while they were there. The third bought a bookmark.”

“You’re good at your job then,” Derek said.

Stiles shrugged. “I guess so.”

“You’re good at making people feel welcome.” 

Stiles was saved from responding by Will running into the kitchen and launching himself into Derek’s lap. “We won.”

“Great, up to bed then.” Derek stood, lifting Will with him. “Goodnight, Stiles.”

“Night, guys,” Stiles said. Will gave a small wiggle of his fingers as they walked out. Stiles finished his food listening to Jackie try and wheedle her way out of calling it quits for the night.

***

Derek wasn’t exactly looking forward to seeing the pack again. A few of them, he barely knew. Those he did weren’t exactly his biggest fans. He could deal with them treating him coldly if it came to that. Scott was happy enough to see him, and the Stilinskis were wonderful, so that more than made up for it. He just didn’t want any negativity to splash over onto the twins.

“Where are we going?” Jackie asked.

“We’re meeting up with Scott’s pack.” Derek glanced back at her in his rearview mirror. “We have some things to talk about. You and Will can get your school work done while I’m busy.”

Jackie smiled at him. “Or we could talk to the pack too,” she suggested.

“I guess,” Derek said easily. “Be a shame if we didn’t have time to go to the park after the meeting because you didn’t get your work done.”

Derek was pretty sure she muttered, “You win this time, Hale.”

It didn't take long to get anywhere in Beacon Hills, so they arrived at the vet clinic sooner than he’d like. Derek wished Stiles wasn’t working an early shift, so he’d at least have one friendly face. 

They clambered out of the car, and after slipping on his spiderman backpack, Will tucked his hand into Derek’s and smiled up at him. Will was great like that. He was shy like Derek and more attuned to people's emotions than his sister. As far as he was concerned, everything was easier if he was holding someone's hand.

Jackie gave a running commentary on everything she saw in the clinic waiting room. Deaton came out to let them through the barrier, greeting them with a bland smile. “You smell like cat pee.” Jackie said as she breezed past. “Can people get ticks? You have a lot of posters about them. They look gross. Derek, have you ever seen a tick?”

Derek herded her into the backroom where the pack was already waiting. Scott smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”

Liam and Mason each offered him a friendly wave from their perch on the metal table. Malia leaned against the counter next to a guy Derek didn’t recognize. He must have been Jason, who’d joined the pack while Derek was away. They both tipped their heads in greeting.

“Welcome home,” Kira said, bouncing over for a hug, then looking down at the kids. “Hi there, I’m Kira.”

“My name is Jackie, this is my twin Will, you smell like light bulbs,” Jackie said. Will stepped a little closer to Derek.

“Jacquline, can you not announce what everyone smells like?” Derek said, without much hope.

“I’m just saying,” Jackie shrugged. “Light bulbs are a weird thing to smell like.”

“She doesn’t smell like lightbulbs.” Derek cut her off before she could demand clarification. “Stop being nosy and I might help you figure it out.”

Jackie gave a pointed sniff, eyeing Kira up and down, then sat down on the floor. Will joined her immediately and they pulled out their clipboards and pencils. Derek really did want them to get some school work done, but he already missed the heat of Will’s hand.

Lydia glided forward and kissed his cheek. “Took you long enough to come see us.”

“Shouldn’t they be in school?” Isaac asked. He was slouched in the corner, sullenly staring at Derek.

“We are in school.” Jackie waved her clipboard at him. She must have caught Isaac’s disbelieving eyebrow raise, because she went on with, “Anywhere is a place of learning if you expand your mind.”

Derek really needed to stop watching vlogs of homeschooling moms.

Scott called everyone to attention. “Allison and the twins couldn’t make it.”

Jackie settled onto her stomach.“We’re twins and we’re here.” 

“Um, the other twins,” Scott said awkwardly. “Anyway, let’s get started.”

The meeting went smoothly. They talked a bit about some of the contact they’d had with other packs, and the plans they wanted to make for establishing positive connections. Jackie interjected if something caught her attention, but was mostly ignored. Lydia had a spark in her eyes that made Derek concerned she might decide Jackie needed some “womanly influence” and start training her to take over the world.

By the end of the meeting, Derek promised to start writing down anything he could think of about pack relations, and to look over the letter Scott was going to write to send to some nearby packs about becoming allies.

“There are some books you may want to recover for your reference,” Deaton said. He’d been mostly silent for the meeting.

“Books that Stiles can find?” Scott said hopefully.

“No, these are very specific. There are few copies in existence. They have information on the history of Beacon Hills and its affiliations with other packs." Deaton slipped a printed page out of a folder and handed it to Scott.

“This looks like someone's house,” Scott said.

Deaton hummed agreement. “Arthur Horde lived at the edge of town. He had quite an extensive collection. Most of it was donated to the library upon his death, but books of a more sensitive nature are still in his house.”

“Uncle Arty.” Derek had a flash of visiting an elderly man with Peter, and eating far too many gingersnaps while they traded tomes.

“Yes, he was very close with your family once,” Deaton said.

“Any chance his house is empty?” Lydia asked.

Deaton smiled at her. “No, it’s quite occupied. The new owners have no affiliation with the supernatural, and it’s unlikely they even know Mr. Horde’s book vault exists.”

“Excellent,” Scott said. “Won’t that be fun.”

***

Stiles was just walking out of the shop when he got a text from Scott telling him to meet him at a house near the preserve. He parked next to Scott’s bike and scurried over to meet his friend, along with Isaac, Ethan, and Aiden, who were all crouched behind a bush. “What’s up?”

“We’re breaking into that house,” Aiden said.

“ _What_?” Stiles hissed.

“If someone calls the cops, we need you here so you can convince your dad to stall them,” Ethan said, ignoring Stiles’ clear distress.

“I really don’t think that will be necessary,” Derek said, behind them. The four of them whipped around to find him standing there, a twin on each side, clearly unconcerned with being seen.

“Derek, get down before someone sees you,” Scott whisper-shouted.

Derek raised an eyebrow. “Right. Because the neighbor half a block away can totally see me from here.” Scott shrugged sheepishly. There really wasn’t much in the way of traffic, and the houses were spaced much wider than in town.

“There’s no one in the house,” Derek said. “Which all of you except Stiles, can hear. Stop stalling before they come home.” He walked around the bushes and straight to the front door. He looked through the window of the door then stepped back to look at the house itself.

“Second window, you think?” Jackie asked.

“Should work.” Derek picked her up around the waist and set her on his shoulder.

Scott shook himself out of his stupor and joined them, the rest of the pack trailing behind. “What are you doing?”

“Getting into the house,” Derek said. Then he tossed Jackie up onto the house like she weighed nothing more than a rag doll. She latched onto the roof of the porch, and steadied herself before reaching down. Derek crouched and Will climbed up onto his shoulders. A small jump, and Jackie was pulling him up beside her.

Stiles forced his mouth shut as the twins slid open the nearest window and disappeared inside.

“You taught children how to break into houses?” Isaac said, gaping after them.

“I didn’t teach them anything,” Derek said. Then he snorted and Scott chuckled beside him.

“What did I miss?” Stiles asked.

“Jackie said if anything, they taught Derek, and that he had horrible taste in empty houses.”

Stiles laughed, because the alternative was to dwell on Derek’s truly horrible choices of living arrangements when he’d last been in Beacon Hills.

Jackie unlocked the door from the inside and opened it wide, with an even wider smile. From there, it was quick work for the werewolves to get in and grab what they wanted.

“So, why did we break into someone’s house and steal their really old books?” Stiles asked as they waited for Derek to come out from the window upstairs after locking the door behind them.

“Deaton,” Scott said.

“Ah.” So much of Stiles’ life could be explained away with two words. _Deaton_ and _werewolves_.

***

Stiles looked up from the box he was unpacking as the bell over the door jingled cheerfully. “Hello,” he called out, ducking around the shelf. “Oh, hey!” 

Jackie was already bouncing into the store while Derek followed behind her, Will wrapped around his neck, having clearly won the constant battle of who got a piggyback ride from the car.

“Hi Stiles, we need books,” Jackie told him.

Stiles smirked. “Well, you’ve come to the right place.” He was sure a lot of people would find Jackie's boldly precocious attitude annoying, but he loved it. “What kind of book are you looking for?”

Jackie started running her fingers down the spines of books in the children's section. “Will is looking for--”

“Will can ask for himself, thanks Jac,” Derek said. Stiles had noticed it was one the things that Derek frequently said. Jackie was a natural talker, but Will was so much more reserved, so she just spoke for them. Derek insisted that if Will wanted something for himself he needed to ask. Stiles had seen a few kids come into the store who could barely look at him, let alone speak to him to purchase anything, so he could appreciate Derek’s need to gently push Will to speak for himself.

Will had been so standoffish when he’d first arrived, clearly avoiding Stiles, and the Sheriff even more so. Every word Stiles managed to get out of him felt like a triumph, and now that they’d been there a week and a half, he thought he was really making progress. Will’s arm tightened around Derek’s neck, but he looked Stiles in the eye when he said, “I want a book on bugs, please.”

“Bugs,” Stiles said seriously. “I can help with that. Are we looking for a book about different types of bugs, a story about bugs, or maybe a book on a specific bug?”

Will had a habit of scrunching up his nose when he was thinking that turned Stiles heart to goo. “Maybe different kinds?”

“We’re looking for something that talks about the effect bugs have on the ecosystem,” Derek said. “Why they’re necessary, even if they’re sometimes gross or annoying.”

“Let me see…” Stiles made a show of wiggling his fingers in front of the books before selecting them, earning giggles from the twins and a low chuckle from Derek. Will slid to the floor and came to stand by his side.

Before Stiles could get too far into showing them their options, the door jingled open again. Stiles pasted on a smile when he saw Mrs. Goldblum ( _Call me Gloria, won’t you?_ ) at the door. Stiles always had mixed feelings about her presence. She spent a lot of money at the store, paying little attention to the price of the books she got and _never_ deigning to buy something second hand, but she required personal assistance for her entire visit, and alternated between flirting with Stiles and informing him of how successful her husband was.

“I’ll be with you in just a minute, Mrs. G,” Stiles called.

“Oh, Stiles, I’m simply in a panic, you must help me,” Mrs. Goldblum said, fanning herself with her hat.

“It’s fine, we’ll wait,” Derek said quietly.

Stiles gave him a grateful smile and went over to his customer. Apparently Gloria had forgotten to get a gift for her friend Margaret’s birthday. It took 45 minutes for Stiles to determine that she hadn’t so much forgotten as realized their friend Elizabeth had gotten something better and she didn’t want to be outdone. Stiles sent her on her way with a beautifully illustrated copy of _A Midsummer Night’s Dream_ , a hand-crafted stationery set, and a self-satisfied smirk.

A teenager had come in to browse the comic book section while Stiles was busy, and he quickly rang up her purchase, chatting easily about the selection, and encouraging her to look at one of their independent authors before she, too, left the store.

“Sorry about that, thanks for waiting,” Stiles said, returning to Derek and the twins. They’d started out browsing the kids section, and when Stiles still didn’t come back, they’d hunkered down at the miniature table and chairs Stiles had set up. He'd photocopied selections from colouring books and put them on the tables, hoping if kids liked them enough, they’d want the whole book. He’d suckered more than a few parents into a purchase that way.

“Sounds like you had your work cut out for you,” Derek said.

“She’s quite the character,” Stiles said, keeping his tone neutral but giving Derek a very forced smile. 

“I like your display,” Derek said, gesturing to a shelf in the middle of the floor. On one side it had _Catcher in the Rye_ and a sign that said, “If you _Liked_ this book try these!” with a selection of different books on the shelf beneath it. On the other side it had the same novel, but the sign read, “If you _Hated_ this book, try these!”

Stiles grinned. “It’s one of my favourites. I change it up every month. It helped me finally get all the copies of _50 Shades of Grey_ out of the store.”

“Oh?” Derek asked, eyes sparkling in amusement,

“I don’t care how good for business it is, it’s banned from the premises,” Stiles said, shooing the air to banish the very thought.

“So what did you recommend instead?” Derek asked smirking.

Stiles turned pointedly to Will and asked, “Now, where were we?”

“Bugs,” Will said. He took Stiles’ hand and led him back over to the section they’d been looking at. 

Will had never touched Stiles before. Stiles looked town at the tiny hand in his, then at Will’s light brown tufts of hair and upturned nose, and he could see why Derek had decided to keep them. Less than two weeks, and Stiles was a little bit in love. He couldn’t imagine being satisfied again with the oppressive quiet of his house without them. 

“Stiles?” Derek broke him out of his thought with a concerned look and a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m good,” Stiles said. “Let’s see what we’ve got.” Derek ended up with two books about bugs in the ecosystem, one cartoon and one with more serious pictures, a story about a bee named Eric, and three colouring books.

“I’ll see you at home,” Derek said, over a chorus of goodbyes from the twins.

“See you soon,” Stiles returned. When they left, he didn’t feel quite so content as he had before.

***

Derek waited nervously on Scott’s porch for the Bishop pack to arrive. He’d spent two weeks giving Scott a crash course in werewolf history and etiquette, and now they were putting it to the test. Carla Bishop had been an ally of his mother’s. Her daughter Nina was poised to take over as the pack alpha. Derek knew for a fact they could benefit from forming an alliance as well, showing strength and solidarity even in times of change. 

But the Bishops already had allies, and the McCall pack did not. They could just as easily turn and slaughter them to prove their strength to neighboring packs. Derek knew he wouldn’t survive that. He might live through the battle, but he couldn’t stand the grief of one more pack dying because of his incompetence.

Will was molded to his side, and Jackie sat at his feet, both feeding off his nervousness. Jackie had insisted on wearing her party dress for the occasion, but now she was plucking at the ruffles, unsettled and uncomfortable. 

Stiles plopped down next to her and nudged her with his shoulder. “You’re rocking the purple.”

“It’s violet,” Jackie told him.

“Are you sure it’s not orchid?” Stiles asked, scrunching up his nose.

Jackie shook her head, sending the curls Lydia had done for her bouncing. “No, this is definitely violet.” 

“I stand corrected.” Stiles fixed the large bow that had been knocked loose as a Lexus pulled into the driveway. Two other sleek vehicles stopped in front of the house.

Jackie and Stiles stood, but they waited for Scott to come out and be the first to greet the Bishop pack, just like Derek had told them.

“Welcome,” Scott said. “I’m Alpha McCall. I’d be happy for you to call me Scott. This is Stiles Stilinski.” Stiles nodded his head in greeting. “And you may remember Derek Hale.”

Both Carla and Nina shook his hand, and returned Stiles’ nod. They approached Derek, and offered their hands to him. “It’s good to see you well,” Carla said, with the weight of past history between them.

“And you,” Derek said. “May I introduce my children? This is Jacqueline and Will.”

Jackie bobbed in a curtsey and turned to show her throat. Will shoved his face into Derek’s thigh, submitting as well.

“They seem healthy and strong,” Nina said.

“Please, come inside and I’ll introduce you to the rest of the pack,” Scott said, gesturing them through the door. 

Introductions were made and coffee was served. Melissa had baked cookies that were passed around and praised. Derek was pleased to see everyone was socializing and friendly, and no one had mentioned formal business.

Derek stayed near Stiles because it kept him calmer, and meant he wouldn’t have to put much into the conversation. Stiles didn’t disappoint, talking enough for both of them, earning laughs and speculative looks from the Bishop pack.

Jackie was talking to whoever listened while Will methodically coloured a bumblebee in his new book from Stiles’ shop. Carla leaned over and asked him, “What are you colouring, William?”

Derek suppressed a groan as Will frowned up at her. “My name isn’t William.”

“Oh,” Carla said, blinking in surprise.

“He’s colouring a bumble bee. Those are different from honey bees, and not mean like wasps,” Jackie said. “We learned about it in our Stiles books.”

“Your Stiles books?” Carla sent an amused look at Stiles and Derek.

“We got to go to his bookshop, it was really nice,” Jackie said. “This time we got books on bugs, but next time I want to get some on dinosaurs.”

“You own a bookstore?” Carla asked Stiles.

“Manage,” Stiles said. Derek could see the tension growing in his shoulders, just like when Derek had asked about his work.

“It’s been less than a year and Stiles is already basically running the place,” Scott said cheerfully. “I don’t think the owner’s been in for weeks.”

“Stiles can find books about anything,” Will said quietly.

“Well then,” Carla said. “Perhaps he has a book on pack treaties.”

“A few,” Stiles said. From there, everything turned business. Carla, Nina, Scott, and Stiles moved to the kitchen, to sort out an agreement. Derek could tell Lydia was chafing at being left out of the planning, but she and Scott had already discussed at length what he needed to push for and what could be let go. Derek could hear that Scott was doing well, and anywhere he faltered, Stiles picked up the slack.

It took nearly three hours before the Bishop pack was finally ready to leave, plans to speak again soon already made.

“You have a good pack here,” Nina said.

“I’m lucky to have them all,” Scott replied. After the Bishops left, he repeated, “All of you. I’m lucky to have all of you.”

Derek felt a swell of pride to be included in the group. 

The pack broke off shortly after that, citing things to do and issuing goodbyes.

“I gotta hit the grocery store on the way home,” Stiles said.

“Can I come with you?” Will asked.

Derek smiled at the sweet note of pleasure in Stiles’ scent at having been asked. After a nod of agreement from Derek, Stiles said, “Sure, I’d love the company.”

“Be good,” Derek called after them. Jackie was on the couch talking with Lydia and unperturbed by her brother’s departure, so Derek left her for the moment. “Scott, could we talk privately for a moment.”

“Sure, man,” Scott said. They went up to Scott’s bedroom. Scott sat on the bed while Derek took the computer chair. “That went well, right?”

“Yeah, everyone did really well. I think the Bishops were impressed,” Derek said. “So, I was thinking recently. I’ve been traveling around for a long time. Being in one place has been working out pretty well. I think the kids like it, you know, consistency and space.” Derek tried to get a read on Scott before continuing.

“They seem to like it here a lot,” Scott said. “The Sheriff said they’ve taken over the back yard. He’s thinking of putting in a jungle gym.”

“Yeah?” Derek’s hopes raised. “He didn’t mention it.”

“He was wondering about their birthday, whether he should hold off and do it then or if it’s too far away,” Scott said. “I bet he’ll get a good one too. Stiles and I used to spend hours on his. I was sad to see it go.”

“I’ll talk to him about it,” Derek promised. “But, does that mean...Can we stay?”

Scott’s smile was replaced with a look of contemplation. Not unfriendly just serious. “I don't know, Derek. Do you think you’d be happy here? Do you think you could stay?”

When Derek had first come back after Laura’s death, he couldn’t imagine Beacon Hills holding anything more for him than misery and pain. Now, it felt like home again. 

“I think I could,” Derek said, nodding, but agitated. He was settling into his life here, but a part of him felt like something was still missing. Something was off.

“Think about it,” Scott said. “We’ve talked a lot about stability for the pack recently, and I want that. I think it would be really upsetting for...some members of our pack if you told them you were staying and then you left again.”

“I agree,” Derek said. “It wouldn’t be good for the kids either.”

Scott nodded. “If you do decide to stay, I’d be happy to offer you a place in the pack.”

“Thanks, Scott,” Derek said. “I really appreciate it.” He stood and offered his hand.

Scott surprised him by pulling him into a hug instead. “Welcome home, Derek.”

***

Stiles rolled his cart slowly down the aisle, listing the things they’d gotten so WIll could check off the list. 

“Bread?”

“Check.”

“Orange Juice?”

“Check.”

“Bananas?”

“Check.”

“Ice cream?”

Considering that they were genetically related, Stiles thought it was amazing how much Will’s frown looked like Derek’s. “Ice cream isn’t on the list, Stiles.”

“Well, it should be,” Stiles said, grabbing a carton from the freezer and adding it to the rest of the food piled on top of Will. They went through the rest of the list adding a few things before heading to the check-outs. Will helped put everything on the belt before Stiles lifted him out.

“Awe, what a good helper,” the cashier said. “Is he yours?”

Stiles wasn’t sure why, but it felt utterly wrong to say no. So he said, “He’s my Will.” Because that was true. By the smile Will gave him in return, Stiles knew he’d made the right choice.

Then it really hit him. He’d fallen for these kids. He didn’t just have a crush on Derek anymore, he adored this whole patchwork family. 

And it was going to break his heart when they left.

***

Derek had the newspaper spread over the kitchen table, pen in hand and notebook at his elbow. Jackie and Will were in the living room watching a movie, already in their pajamas, though it was early yet.

Derek had made chili for dinner. The Sheriff was already eating a bowl before his patrol, so when Stiles got home, Derek reheated some for him as well. Stiles stopped off for a moment to tease the kids before coming in and plopping down in Derek’s chair. He hummed in appreciation when the food was put in front of him and dug in as Derek pulled out another chair. “What’s all this?” He mumbled around a spoonful.

“I was looking at houses,” Derek said.

Stiles fumbled his spoon, flicking tomato sauce onto the paper. Derek and the Sheriff exchanged looks of fond exasperation. 

“You’re staying?” Stiles asked.

“Yes,” Derek said hesitantly. Stiles' heartbeat was going crazy. “If that’s alright.”

“Yeah, sure, of course,” Stiles said, and Derek was relieved to find there was no stutter of a lie, but while his scent had bright bursts of _happy,_ it was also laced with anxiety as Stiles looked over the papers. 

Stiles tapped one of Derek’s choices, then stole his pencil and put an ‘X’ through the picture. "You can’t live here, it's too far from the woods.”

“Good point,” Derek said.

“This one's too small,” Stiles said, tapping the next option. “Jackie and Will won’t want to share a room forever.”

“I guess not,” Derek said, but he wasn’t so sure he’d have to worry about that for a long while yet.

“That one's too big, what would you do with all that space? This one too.” Two more options were struck from the list. “This one on Elm St is no good, that neighbourhood always smells like dog food because of the factory. And Cherry Hill is where Ms. Colton lives. She’s so nosy, you’d never get any privacy.”

“Huh.” Derek’s meager list was getting shorter and shorter. 

“That looks like a good option,” The Sheriff said, tapping a picture of a three bedroom ranch style.

“No way, dad,” Stiles said. “Look how old it is, the pipes will be a nightmare.”

The Sheriff tapped a sleek modern unit. “And this one?”

“Bleh, no, it has no character at all,” Stiles insisted.

“Looks like I’m back to the drawing board then,” Derek said.

“Uh huh.” The Sheriff crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Or Stiles is being deliberately picky.”

“Picky? _Picky_?” Stiles scoffed. “Excuse me, Dad, but Derek’s a responsible adult now, he can’t just rush off and buy any old house, it needs to be the right house.” Stiles pushed his chair back and went to rinse out his bowl. “In the meantime, they can just stay here.”

“Stiles, I’m sure Derek is getting tired of sleeping on the couch,” the Sheriff said, gently.

“It’s a good couch, there's nothing wrong with it,” Stiles said. His anxiety was spiking even higher, heart racing, and Derek really didn’t think the bowl had been dirty enough for scrubbing that vigorous.

Derek stood up and put a hand on Stiles shoulder, stopping him. “Stiles, I’m not leaving again.”

“You are,” Stiles said quietly.

“Not far,” Derek said, turning off the tap and tugging Stiles around to face him. “Not this time. I’ll buy a house across the street if that will make you happy.”

“Yeah?” Stiles asked. His amber eyes were so bright, and Derek couldn’t ever say no to that.

“Of course,” Derek said. “We’re staying close, Stiles, I promise.”

***

Stiles clenched his fists at his sides to keep from reaching for Derek. He knew he was overreacting and Derek would have to move out eventually, but he wasn’t _ready_. He needed them close, needed to come home to a warm welcome just a little bit longer instead of going back to the empty silence of their house the way it was before. Or after, depending on how far back he went.

He took a deep breath because Derek was _right there_ and suddenly, it didn’t matter that they were in the middle of the kitchen and his dad was sitting at the table because Derek was in his space, with his hands on Stiles’ hips, gentle but firm, and he was looking at Stiles like he cared and that was just too much.

“Can we have some popsicles?” Jackie asked sliding into the kitchen.

“Sure,” Derek said, stepping back from Stiles to open the freezer.

Jackie stared at Stiles, head tilted for a moment, then asked, “Stiles, do you love Derek?”

 

“What?” Stiles said, heart clenching and veins running cold.

“You smell like you love him,” Jackie said. She scrunched up her nose in distaste. “A lot.”

The ice in his blood was replaced with fire as Stiles was flooded with embarrassment.

“Jacqueline! Get to bed!” Derek growled. Stiles had seen him angry before but he’d _never_ seen that anger directed at one of the kids.

“What?” Jackie said, backing away, clearly as unaccustomed to it as Stiles.

“I have told you time and again not to comment on what you smell. Get upstairs, I don’t want to hear another word out of you tonight.” Derek’s eyes flared blue, and Jackie bolted from the room, Will following closely after her.

“Well, that’s my cue to head out,” the Sheriff said, grabbing his hat and slipping out the back door.

Derek turned to Stiles. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Stiles said quickly. “I’m going to bed.”

“Stiles--”

“Goodnight, Derek.” Stiles went up the stairs almost as fast as Jackie, hell-bent on reaching his bedroom so he could quietly die of mortification on his own. He’d barely gotten the door shut when Derek was knocking on it.

“Stiles, could we please just talk about this?” Derek pleaded through the wood.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Stiles said, though the hard lump of mortification in his stomach begged to differ.

“Please, Stiles, just open the door,” Derek asked. “I’m sorry.”

Stiles growled in the back of his throat and swung open his door. “You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m embarrassed, okay? I have a right to be mortified that even a child can smell how much you turn me on.”

“Stiles,” Derek said, reaching out.

“No, Derek, please don’t. I try to control it. Really I do. I know it’s probably not a secret, but can we just leave it alone?” Stiles begged.

Derek shook his head. “I don’t want to.”

“That’s not fair,” Stiles said. “It was bad enough when I knew you knew, I don’t want to have to talk about it--”

“I didn’t know,” Derek said.

Stiles blinked at him, finally _looking_ at Derek. “What?”

“I didn’t know it was for me,” Derek continued.

“Bullshit,” Stiles said automatically.

“No, really.” Derek sighed. “It’s not polite to comment on people's scents, but we do notice them. It’s part of how wolves communicate. But just because someone might be attracted to you doesn’t mean they want to do anything about it. And you were 16 when we met Stiles. You were almost always turned on.”

“Turned on or terrified,” Stiles muttered.

“Exactly,” Derek said. “But I want you Stiles. And if you want me back…”

Stiles nodded. “I really do.” There seemed no point in trying to hide it now. He’d grown to love Derek in waves, though he could see it coming, he was never quite braced against the strength of it. Now that it had been spoken out loud, things would never truly be the same as they were. He just hoped they could change for the better.

“Okay.” This time when Derek reached for him he didn’t pull away. “Where do we go from here?”

Stiles chewed at his thumb as he stared at Derek, and dived into the wave. “Stay.”

“Alright,” Derek said, and the tightness in his chest eased. 

“Are you sure?” Stiles said. “You’d do that? Stay in Beacon Hills with me?”

Derek smiled. “It’s home. You’re home. I think we could be happy here. All of us.”

“I want that,” Stiles said honestly. “Not just you and me. I love those kids and I want to be there to see the people they become. I want to be there for that.”

“It’s time they had the chance to settle in one spot, form bonds and put down roots,” Derek said. “I’d like to do that here with you.”

Stiles nodded. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Derek echoed.

There were more details that needed to be decided, questions to ask and answer, unexpected trials to weather. But they didn’t really matter right then. What mattered was that they’d try. Whatever choices they made, they’d make them together. 

When Derek kissed him, Stiles had never felt more right.

***

Derek smoothed his hand over Stiles back. He knew Stiles would tease him mercilessly for watching him sleep, but Derek couldn’t help it. Stiles was _his_ and Derek had never thought he’d get to have that. A part of him was still convinced it would all be taken away any second.

He heard a snuffle from the guest room and sighed. He stole a pair of Stiles’ sweatpants and padded softly to the bedroom hoping he wouldn’t wake him.

The door was ajar, but the room was dark, and Derek let his eyes flair blue to help him see. Just like when they’d met, two sets of yellow flashed in return. Derek sat down on the side of the bed and opened his arms. “Come here.”

Two warm little bodies hurtled into his sides.

“I’m sorry,” Jackie whispered.

“Don’t leave,” Will begged.

Derek held them tight, shushing them gently. “Just because I got mad doesn’t mean I don’t still love you. Stiles was upset, and that made me upset, but I’m not leaving. I’m never going to leave you.”

“Promise?” Jackie asked.

“I promise,” Derek said. Jackie was still snuffling into his neck, but they both felt calmer and so did Derek as he held them close.

“Looks like I’m missing all the cuddles,” Stiles said from the doorway.

Will reached out and Stiles came over to take his hand. Derek picked up Jackie and plopped her into the middle of the bed, followed by Will. He settled in beside them and tugged Stiles down to bracket their other side.

The three of them fell asleep, and Derek watched the rise and fall of their breathing, letting their heartbeats fill his head, and lull him to sleep.

***Epilogue***

Derek raced through the familiar trees of Beacon Hills. He could feel Scott nearby, and Isaac close behind him. The rest of the pack was scattered through the woods, but Derek didn’t feel the need to find them. Their howls echoed in his heart, but they didn’t call him close.

He let loose his own howl, and was greeted by twin warbles. He took off toward home.

Derek no longer had to wander alone, searching for the elusive _something _that would make him feel complete.__

__He broke through the trees and into the yard, and Stiles welcomed him home, Jackie and Will bouncing at his sides, excited by the thrill of the moon._ _

__And Derek was perfectly content._ _

__********_ _

**Author's Note:**

> Bonus Points if you know Will’s full name!


End file.
